


The Pendant

by Doomfang



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doomfang/pseuds/Doomfang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>S2E6 left us with Lee and Claire being cornered. Here I switch between Lee/Claire and Hardy/Miller to see what could happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pendant

„We can’t do this.“ Lee said.  
“Then what do we do?”

They both fell silent, caught up in their own thoughts about various ways the truth might actually come to the surface now. Even after all this time the past was still haunting them. Literally. It had taken the form of Alec Hardy and was rummaging through their lives again. They had experienced this before. Back in Sandbrook. But they had emerged from it. Stronger, as Claire liked to believe. They had taken some scars home from these battles but in the end they had survived the war and that’s what counted. Hardy had tried to break them apart then but he hadn’t succeeded in that. He had kept her isolated and “protected” but that had only fired up her want for Lee. They were a better team now more than ever.

Under his protection it had been hard for Claire to not pity the man at first. After all, he had lost his wife and daughter to the case, had sacrificed his health and in the end had failed to see what had been right in front of him the whole time. But she kept her mouth shut. She knew what was at stake.

And quickly her pity had turned into bemusement. This way she could cope with being separated from Lee and playing her role as the victim. Claire had made a game to tease Hardy as often and innocently as possible.  
She had first tried it about a month after the trial. When Hardy had brought her groceries he had stayed as usual to help her put them away. That’s when she spotted the chocolate bar and froze. Once even the socially-inept Hardy had noticed there was something wrong with her she had mumbled: “Lee used to buy these for Valentine’s Day…” Then she had stormed off to her bedroom, locked the door and laughed into her pillow. His shocked and concerned face was priceless. Whenever she tried similar things it had kept her entertained during the seven months.

  
Now she didn’t feel sorry anymore. Not after how he had destroyed Lee’s and her life.

  
After months of only communicating with Lee via text messages it felt so good to finally have him by her side again.

Together they would win this battle, too.

* * *

 

“Can’t we talk about this later? I’m knackered.” Hardy mumbled.  
The kettle boiled. With a sigh he slowly got up from his chair to walk to the kitchen counter.  
“No. Sit down. I’ll get it.” Ellie pushed him back into his seat.  
“Miller. I’ve had heart surgery. My legs are still working.” Still, he didn’t resist the gentle push and sat down again.  
“The doctors recommended for you to stay in hospital for two weeks. Yet here you are. You look lousier than you did before. And now I’m here and want to talk to you so you better not collapse until I’m finished!”  
She sat back down offering Hardy a cup of tea.  
“Careful! It’s hot.”  
He rolled his eyes but accepted the cup without further comment.

They sat in silence for a while. He tried his best not to show it but Hardy did feel like shit. Every move he made exhausted him. The doctors had said it was still the effects of the narcotic they had used and there was nothing to worry about. They had of course highly recommended he’d stay for longer but he wouldn’t spend another second in that dreadful place.

“It’s going to get better.” Ellie interrupted his thoughts.  
“Oh don’t give me that look. You are half asleep now… I can see it. You are awful at hiding it. But it was the right thing to do.” She pointed at his heart. “The pacemaker, I mean. You are tired, that means you are healing.”  
Hardy scoffed. “Thanks for that grandmotherly wisdom, Miller.”

“Oh shut up.” She grinned into her cup.  
“Anyway, I’ll make it quick so you can get back to sleep.” She took a big gulp of tea and checked her watch.

“Basically what I wanted to tell you is that I’ve seen a photo of Claire with the necklace. You know? The one Pippa used to wear.”  
“Yeah? Tess told me about that.”  
“Well… the photo looked quite new. I bet she had it taken in the last year or so.”  
“I don’t see where you are going with this…” Hardy tried to suppress a yawn, barely able to keep his eyes open.  
“What if she still has the pendant? That could reopen the case, couldn’t it? A new piece of evidence. Well… sort of new, anyway.” She looked at him expectantly.  
“Mmmh…” He didn’t look too thrilled. In fact he seemed to be dozing off now entirely.  
“Fine. Whatever. You get back to bed. I’ll come back tomorrow. Maybe after a good night’s sleep you’ll be able to listen.” She grabbed her coat from the chair and got up.

  
Hardy was shifting uneasily in his seat. “Could you-?” He began and rubbed his nose slowly.  
“What?”  
“Could you help me get into bed? I’m not feeling too good. The floor is spinning.”  
“Oh.” She already had a witty answer to throw at his head. But somehow she could sense that he had swallowed a whole lot of pride to ask for her help. He stared at the floor now, embarrassed. So she walked around the table and grabbed his arm to help him get up. Carefully she guided him to his bed and even covered him with the blanket.

  
“Night, Alec. It is going to get better.”  
“Thanks.” He answered and she could hear the relief in his voice that she hadn’t made a snide remark.  
“Is it ok then, that I call you Alec now?”  
But he was already fast asleep. On tippy toes Ellie left the shack.

  
Had she only stayed a little longer…

* * *

 

Lee Ashworth had once before found a way to enter Hardy’s shack he called a home. He managed it the second time just as easily.

For a cop who knew the high numbers of burglary in the UK, Hardy really had awful locks on his door. Lee smirked.

Ever so quietly he entered the room. He had seen Ellie Miller leave the place half an hour ago after tucking Hardy into bed. What a sweet scene that had been. And what a great opportunity for himself. He had expected to wait all night until all lights were put out but probably because of his operation Hardy was tired all the time now.

  
Lee looked at him. The man who had ruined his life was lying there in the darkness. Defenseless and unprepared. His chest was slowly rising and falling again. Nothing could wake him up now.  
Revenge was sweet and just as he had done it to him, now Lee would take Hardy’s life apart bit by bit.

  
He reached for the night stand until he got what he came for. Without a final look he left as quietly as he had come.  
Now he just had to make a phone call.

* * *

 

Hardy was awoken by a loud banging on his door.  
“Open up, sir. Or we are going to do it.”  
What time was it? He could vaguely remember that Miller had tucked him into bed. Oh… she would laugh about that for the next week.

The knocking was louder now.  
Clumsily he got up and stumbled to the door. “I’m here.” He mumbled more to himself than to the person knocking. The teacups were still sitting on the table. He hadn’t even touched it that’s how tired he had been.

The world around him began to spin alarmingly but he could grab the handle and open the door. He flinched at the bright sunlight. A good night’s sleep then? He was still tired. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness he recognized the face of … who was it? He had worked for him on Danny’s case. What was going on here?

“Hardy. We have got a search warrant for your house. Please step aside.” The officer held up a form to Hardy’s face. He didn’t have a proper chance to look at it since 4 more uniformed officers entered his home.  
“What is going on here, Greg?” he demanded.  
“It’s George. And we received an anonymous tip yesterday about possible evidence you were hiding in regards to the Sandbrook case. You know: The two murdered girls.”  
Hardy nodded, still not understanding what was happening.

The officers had spread into his home and began to open cupboards and shuffled through his things. Hardy yawned again. His tired mind didn’t comprehend what was happening and thus didn’t raise any alarm bells. Why on earth would someone tip the police about him?  
One of the officers knelt down beside his bed. He opened the top drawer of the night shelf and peeked inside. With his hands in gloves he pushed the stuff inside away and then grabbed a little silver necklace. “Sir? I think you should see this.” George only glanced into his direction than looked back at Hardy.

The latter one was definitely awake now for the pendant in the hand of the officer was Pippa’s.

Hardy’s eyes widened in terror. “Where did you find this? This isn’t mine.”  
“Alec Hardy. I am arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Pippa Gillespie and Lisa Newberry.”  
Hardy felt as if someone had punched all the air out of his lungs. He didn’t resist when the handcuffs clicked around his wrists.


End file.
